


Cuun Vod

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Canon Compliant, Canon Disabled Character, Canonical Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Child Soldiers, Chocolate, Clones, Death Threats, Disability, Disabled Character, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Feelings, Feels, Gen, Head Injury, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury Recovery, Inspired By Tumblr, Kamino, Kinda, Major Character Injury, Medical, Medical Conditions, Medical Inaccuracies, Neglect, No Incest, No Slash, Not Beta Read, Permanent Injury, Physical Disability, Pre-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Recovery, Self-Hatred, Self-Indulgent, Speech Disorders, Trauma, clones love chocolate n nobody can tell me otherwise, fuck you, i hate the kaminoans . So Much, i'm not tagging all those relationships, kinda ?, my many sons who i love so much, nala se sucks, probably, the kaminoans suck, will Go Through It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22836943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: A study in brotherhood, resilience, and recovery.
Relationships: 99 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch
Comments: 5
Kudos: 106





	Cuun Vod

**Author's Note:**

> me: why does the bad batch only have four members  
> my brain: what if 99 was their fifth  
> me: _oh fuck_
> 
> ⚠️ warning for ableism and eugenics from nala se ⚠️

“Alpha-100,” Nala Se said cooly, “stand aside. You are only making things more difficult for yourself and your batchmates.”

“He’s one of us,” Hunter growled back, his hand tight around his brother’s. “You’re not gonna hurt him.”

Wrecker stood behind his brother, glaring at the Kaminoan doctor. “Y’better go, Se. Don’t wanna see that pretty little neck snap.”

99 stirred. “‘On’ ‘o i’,” he choked out. “Wrecker, no.”

Tech put a hand on 99’s shoulder. “It’s okay, 99,” he said softly. “We’ll get you through this.”

99 could do nothing to stop the tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

Crosshair narrowed his eyes from his bunk. “You know we’ll just get worse from here if you kill him.” His voice was smooth, tempered steel. “You don’t want that, now do you?”

Nala Se’s gaze passed over each of the defective clones in turn. Too big, too smart, too thin, too weak, too sensitive. She sighed through her nose and closed her eyes.

“He is under your care, then,” she conceded. “Should I find that this impacts your performances, Alpha-99 will be terminated.”

Hunter’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Understood.”

Wrecker was almost disappointed. “Kinda _wanted_ to snap her neck,” he muttered after the door to the barracks closed behind her.

99’s hand twitched around Hunter’s. The boy turned to his brother. “What is it, 99?”

“Don’ wanna be a burden,” 99 managed through hiccuping sobs. “Jus’ le’ ‘em-“

“No way in hell,” Hunter interrupted. “You’re our brother. We protect our own.” He ran his free hand over 99’s buzzed scalp.

Tech retrieved the datapad from the end of 99’s cot. “Gimme a minute. I’ll try to figure out some kind of treatment plan.”

Wrecker climbed up to sit heavily on his own bunk and put his head in his hands. “This is my fault, isn’t it?”

“No!” 99 squawked. “No’ your ‘aul’, Wrecker.”

“I gave you a kriffing stroke, vod! How’s this not my fault?”

“Settle down, Wrecker,” Hunter said sternly. “This is hard on all of us, 99 especially.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t over exert him.”

“I ‘an ‘ear you,” 99 commented. “Wrecker, I ‘on’ ‘lame you.”

Wrecker wouldn’t meet his brother’s gaze. He wiped angrily at his eyes, then pulled himself fully onto his bed and slid it into the wall.

Hunter sighed. “He feels responsible,” he reasoned. “He just needs some time to process it. He’ll come around.”

99 whined, low in his throat. “Worrie’ a’out hi’.”

“I know, 99. But he’s tough. We all are. He’ll be fine, and so’ll you.”

99 reached for Tech with his good hand. “Fer’ic’?”

Tech blinked. “Oh. Verdict. Right. Well, uh.” He cleared his throat. “Good news is that you should be able to start talking somewhat normally again with practice. Which you’re already getting a head start on. And your cognitive function doesn’t seem to be impaired much at all. It’s really just your motor skills.”

“An’ ba’ news?”

Tech tapped his stylus against the side of the datapad. “It doesn’t — just from this very, _very_ early prognosis from the Kaminoans, which is hardly confident in you as a person and could very easily be wrong-“

“Kark’s sake,” Crosshair muttered. “Spit it out, vod.”

Tech licked his lips. “It doesn’t look like you’ll be able to walk again,” he said quietly.

His words hung in the air for a moment. 99 sighed and shut his eyes, the right side of his face screwing up as his shoulders started to shake.

“You alright?” Hunter asked. “Does it hurt?”

“‘O.” 99 shook his head. “I’w ‘e fine.”

Even Crosshair took notice. His expression softened slightly, and he climbed down from his third-level bunk. He sat on the edge of 99’s cot. “It’s alright.” His voice was uncharacteristically gentle as he spoke. “We’re gonna help you through this. You’re not alone, and we’re not gonna let them hurt you.”

99 turned and reached out, still with his good hand, smiling a bit when his normally-aloof brother took it in a firm, reassuring grip. “‘Anks,” he murmured.

“‘Course. Like Hunter said; you’re our brother. That isn’t gonna go away because you got hurt. We’ll keep you safe.”

“Aw, look at that,” Hunter teased. “Alpha-97 really _does_ have a soft side.”

“Hunter, I’ll shoot you in the chest.”

99 laughed. It was a breathy sound, but it was light and carefree. “Can’ ‘eliefe you’re figh’in’ ofer ‘e,” he said.

“We’re not fighting over _you_ ; we’re fighting over Hunter being an _idiot_.”

“You’re just mad because I’m right.”

“A-98, remind me which way it is to the armory? I wanna give Hunter a good head start.”

* * *

Tech rolled over in his bunk and looked blearily at the clock as it blinked and trilled at him.

_Must be my turn to check on 99._

He entered the code to quiet his alarm, kicking the foot of the cot to open it. He could hear soft voices. He peered over the edge to see 99 sitting up against his pillows, his face illuminated by a datapad, and someone sitting beside him. A quick glance over the other edge told him exactly who it was.

“You’re our brother, 99. We’re gonna take care of you. No matter what.”

“I know, Wrecker.”

“You’re sure there’s nothing else I can do? You’re not hungry or anything? Maybe I could steal you another pillow? Hunter probably wouldn’t mind.”

“‘S fine. ‘Is’s grea’, Wrecker. ‘Ank you.”

“‘Course. Anything you need, just tell me.”

“Sure. Now ge’ ‘ome s’eep.”

Wrecker didn’t move. He bit his lip. “I can’t,” he admits. “I think the insomnia’s acting up. It’s getting worse.”

Tech reached for the bottle of melatonin he kept in one of the drawers under his cot. He held it between his teeth as he slid down the ladder to the floor, then shook one of the pills into his hand and passed it to his brother. “Get back to bed, Wrecker,” he said quietly. “I’ll take it from here.”

Still, Wrecker didn’t move. He squared his shoulders. “I already took care of everything,” he told Tech.

Tech folded his arms. “Wrecker, you need to get some sleep. The pill’ll help you if you let it.”

Wrecker turned it over in his hand. Eventually he popped it in his mouth, swallowing dry like a good soldier, and climbed back up to his bunk at the top of their row.

99 gave Tech a small smile. “You ‘oo, vo’. You fou’ ha’e ‘a’ ‘ig ‘es’ ‘omorrow, righ’?”

Tech smiled back, then took a brief look at the datapad by 99’s feet to check his vitals. “Did he do the exercises on your bad side with you?”

“Yeah. I ‘ink I’ gettin’ ‘etter.” He lifted his left arm, however shaky it was, and gave a loose thumbs up. “See?”

Tech chuckled. “If nothing else, you’re lucky we’re still so young.” He sat beside his brother, datapad still in hand. “What about your leg?”

99 shrugged. “‘ome ‘pasms, bu’ ‘t’s no’ really ‘oo ‘ad.”

“That’s good to hear.” He was about to make a note of it, but found that Wrecker had already entered the information.

“He ‘old you; he ‘ook ‘are o’ me.” Alpha-99 waved Tech away with a grin. “‘Et ‘ome ‘leep.”

Tech sighed. “Alright, alright.” He gave his brother’s shoulder a quick squeeze before heading back up to his bunk. “Night, 99.”

“Nigh’, ‘Ech.” 99 frowned. “‘Ech. ‘Ech. _‘Ech_.”

Tech chuckled. “You’ll get it eventually.”

* * *

“Come on, men,” Crosshair hissed to his brothers. “Doubletime. Let’s go.”

Wrecker guided the medical droid around a corner with one hand clamped over the speaker in its mouth. Hunter followed close behind, watching their backs.

“All clear,” Crosshair said. “Go, go, go!”

Hunter quickly opened the door to the barracks. He ushered Wrecker and the all-but-stolen droid inside before he entered the room, and Crosshair followed suit as he checked to ensure that nobody was coming.

99 glanced over at the three of them curiously. “Wha’s goin’ on?” He asked with a smile.

“Oh, good. You got him.” Tech came over and took the droid by the hand. “99, this is AZI-47.”

“My identification number is AZI-4798218356481-“

“Not anymore, boltbrain.” Wrecker rubbed the droid’s head like he did to his brothers, sending it spinning around like that of an owl.

“Don’t break him, Wrecker!” Hunter pulled his brother away. “Kriff, we _just_ snuck him outta the medbay.”

Tech gave AZI-47 a gentle nudge in 99’s direction. The droid was hesitant, at first, but set to work examining him after a moment.

“And we already know he’s had a stroke,” Crosshair said dryly. “You’re not here to diagnose him.”

“I see. How long ago was the stroke?”

“About three months, I think?” Hunter glanced at his brothers. “Does that sound right?”

“I think so,” said Wrecker.

Tech rolled his eyes and checked the datapad. “Two and a half months,” he told AZI-47.

“Has he been lying here all that time?” The droid almost sounded incredulous.

“No! I did a good amount of reading on the stuff; we all know not to just let him lay there forever.”

“‘O a lotta s’rechin’ wi’ Wrecker,” 99 supplied. “Shor’ walks ‘roun’ ‘e barracks.”

“Very good. That will continue.” AZI-47 paused. “Would you mind demonstrating how much movement you’re capable of?”

“Sure.” 99 used his right hand to toss away his blanket. He wiggled his toes on his right foot, but the left only twitched jerkily at the ankle. He was able to bend his knee, though laying it flat again proved to be a challenge. His left hand shook uncontrollably as he used them both to help maneuver his foot to somewhere near its original position. “‘S ‘at work?”

“Perfectly. Thank you, Alpha-99.” AZI-47, after a silent request, took the datapad with 99’s medical information from Tech. “It is my understanding that the Kaminoan doctors told you that you would not walk again, correct?”

99 nodded.

“I have reason to believe that they were incorrect in their assumptions.” He made a few quick notes. “You will begin doing muscle strengthening exercises, and I will put in a request for use of a cybernetic exercise brace. I will also download some files on how to best help you with your fine motor skills.”

99 sat there for a moment in silence. “You . . . You mean tha’?”

“Of course I do. I would not lie to a patient.”

Tech grinned. “Told you it’d be worth the risk, Crosshair.”

Crosshair folded his arms. “And you’re sure your reprogramming isn’t gonna backfire on us?”

“Absolutely. I’ll check up on 47 regularly to make sure it doesn’t get tampered with.”

“My identification number is AZI-479821835-“

Tech offered a nervous grin as Crosshair rolled his eyes. “And I’ll fix that. Promise.”

* * *

Hunter collapsed on the floor as soon as he reached their row in the barracks. His chest heaved as he stared up at the ceiling with his arms extended on either side.

“Rou’ ‘ession?”

“Yeah,” Hunter panted. “Just got our endurance training regimens reworked.” He sat up to peel away his sweaty blacks. “I’m dead, 99. Absolutely dead.”

99 laughed.

Crosshair cocked his head to the side and smirked at his brother on the floor. “It wasn’t _that_ bad, Hunter. Quit being dramatic.”

“Maybe for you, mister my-legs-are-as-long-as-a-Kaminoan’s.”

Tech tried to stifle his giggles.

Crosshair leaned over Hunter and put his hands on his hips. “You’re just jealous that we’ve all hit our growth spurts and you haven’t.”

Hunter scowled. He swept one leg under Crosshair’s, knocking him to the floor, and sat on his legs as he pinned his wrists by his hips.

“No fair!” Crosshair complained. He tried to sit up, but Hunter stuck out his tongue as far as it would go.

“Thay it!” Hunter taunted with a grin. “Thay it!”

“Never!”

Wrecker grinned and held Crosshair down by the shoulders. “Two against one, Crosshair. You don’t stand a chance.”

Crosshair groaned, laughing. “Tech, they’re ganging up on me!”

“They sure are,” Tech replied easily. He rested his chin on his fist as he watched from his perch at the end of 99’s bed. “Wanna make it three on one?”

Crosshair rolled his eyes. “Fine; ba’vodu.”

“I can’t hear you,” Hunter teased.

“Ba’vodu!” He shoved Hunter off as he and Wrecker released his arms. “You nerve burners.”

“Di’ all o’ you ge’ new re’mens?”

“Yeah,” Tech sighed, stretching one arm above his head. “I’m gonna be sore tomorrow.”

“Tell me about it.” Crosshair sat to lean against the foot of 99’s bed. “I karking _hate_ chin-ups.”

“Jango had me run forty laps,” Hunter cried as he laid back down on the floor. “Then I got a five minute break — _five minutes_ — while he made sure Boba didn’t kill himself with the weights, and he made me do another _sixty_.”

“‘At’s fif’y klicks!” 99 exclaimed.

“I know!” Hunter sighed and hid his face in his elbows. “My legs feel like sacks of bacta.”

99 laughed. “Sorry ‘o ‘ear abou’ tha’.”

Wrecker tousled Hunter’s hair. “It’s not that bad; quit exaggerating.”

“You’re the tallest one here!” Hunter retorted. “Of course running’s easy for you.”

Wrecker shrugged. He pulled a small package, wrapped in flimsiplast, out of his pocket and tossed it into 99’s lap. “I went down to the mess after training,” he said. “Grabbed you some dessert.”

99 opened it carefully. Inside was a piece of chocolate just barely smaller than his own palm. He lit up, grinning, and reached out to his brother with both hands. “C’mere, y’lug.”

Wrecker obliged, lifting 99 slightly in his embrace. 99 held him as tightly as he could.

“How in blazes did you get your hands on all that?” Tech asked as he stared at the sweet, wonder twinkling in his eyes.

“Snuck into the storeroom,” Wrecker answered easily. “Stealth training’s paying off.”

99 rewrapped the chocolate. “Wreck, I gan’t-”

“Don’t gimme any of that, now. I won’t be hearing it. That’s yours.” Wrecker leaned against the wall. “Like Hunter said; we look out for our own.”

99’s shoulders shook. His eyes welled up with tears as he opened the parcel again and started to snap pieces off. “Hun’er, have some.”

Hunter propped himself up on his elbows. “Vod, that’s yours. You keep it.”

99 tried to scowl, but his smile was unrelenting. “I wan’ ‘o share.”

Hunter sighed and took the piece his brother offered him. Tech and Crosshair did the same, but Wrecker hesitated.

“I mean i’,” 99 said firmly. “Have some.”

Wrecker rolled his eyes. “You’re a pushover,” he muttered.

“And you’re not?” Crosshair shot back with a sly smile. “Mister I’ll-do-literally-anything for-my-brother?”

“Ohhhhhh!” Hunter flopped back down to his elbows.

“‘Ott’im!” 99 laughed. He and Tech both high-fived their brother, who grinned as he bit into his piece of chocolate.

* * *

There was a soft metallic knock at the end of Hunter’s bunk. His ears perked up as he opened one eye and removed his earplugs, then deftly slid his cot out from the wall. AZI-47 was hovering a couple of inches away.

“What is it?”

“Alpha-99 has something to show you,” the droid told him.

Hunter peered down over the side of his bunk. “What’s up, vod?”

99 was grinning up at his brother. “Hunter,” he said softly, proudly. “We’re eight.”

Hunter smiled. “Nice.” He reached up to smack at Tech’s bunk.

“Wha’dd’ya want?” Tech asked blearily, squinting a glare at his brother in the darkness.

99 leaned over to see him. “Happy vatday, Tech.”

The other boy rolled his eyes with a small smile. “Goodnight, 99.”

“Tech-!”

“I know,” he interrupted. “I know. I’m proud of you. I’m tired. Good night.” He slid back into the wall.

Hunter chuckled.

“Think you can come down here and help me with something?”

* * *

Crosshair was, as usual, the last of their batch to wake. He threw his legs over the side of his cot, and his knuckles knocked against Wrecker’s still-open bunk.

“‘Bout time you got up!” Hunter teased. “Get down here; you _gotta_ see this!” He yelped with surprise as 99 laughed.

Crosshair quirked an eyebrow as he hurried down the ladder. “What’s going on?”

There stood 99, grinning at Wrecker, who held his left hand. He was a bit unsteady, and Hunter was carefully spotting his right side, but he was standing, for the most part, on his own. He licked his lips and took a three stumbling steps toward Crosshair.

“Holy sithspit,” Crosshair muttered as he caught his brother. “Happy karking vatday.”

99 laughed again at that. “Wrecker started crying when he saw.” He gave the taller boy a hug, and for once, Crosshair didn’t hesitate to return the gesture.

“I knew you could do it,” he whispered, squeezing 99’s shoulders.

“I know.” 99 pulled away to wipe his eyes, still smiling. “Thank you. All of you.”

Tech tossed his datapad aside and joined the embrace, followed closely by Wrecker and Hunter.

“You’re our brother,” Tech said, fighting back tears of his own. “We take care of our own.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [when you fall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482690) by [emrys (livingshitpost)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys)




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